Memorial of Sihanouk - Father of Independece

On October 11, 2013 Cambodia inaugurated the Memorial of the former King Norodom Sihanouk honoured by Cambodians as the father of independence, national reconciliation and development. The Memorial stands in the East of the Independence Monument in Phnom Penh.

The USD 1.2 million Memorial consists of a 27-meter-high stupa sheltering the 4.5-meter-high copper statute of the former King Norodom Sihanouk. On October 15, 2013 Cambodians will celebrate one-year religious anniversary of his death at the Memorial and the Royal family, members of the Government, Cambodian citizens and foreign guests are expected to pay respect to the former King.

The former King Norodom Sihanouk successfully claim the Cambodian independence from France in 1953 after 90 years of the colony. Besides the renown of rapid development of the country in his era (1953-1970), he was the father of national reconciliation that put Cambodian to the end of civil wars through the achievement of the Paris Peace Accords in 1991.

Please click the link for the video of the funeral of the former King Norodom Sihanouk in Phnom Penh in October 2012.

The Independence Monument - the icon of Phnom Penh

What should you not miss while in Phnom Penh?

Of course, the Independence Monument! A giant temple standing in the middle of the city. The Independence Monument, as it is what we call, represents the end of the 90-year colony of the French in 1953. However, it wasn't until 1962 that the structure was first inaugurated. The monument was constructed following the pure khmer style of the Angkor Wat Temple, a world heritage back to the 12th Century, by a famous Khmer architect at the time, Vann Molyvann.

The monument is mainly reserved for the Independence day every year on November 9 with a big celebration and thousands of participants to pray for the lives of Cambodians who fought for the independence.

It's perhaps one of the most beautiful place in the city to take pictures. At night, the monument is displayed with different colors, making it the icon of Phnom Penh.